


What I Didn't Know I Needed

by AmoraDelara



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Comforting Liam, Depressed Zayn, Ficlet, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, M/M, beginning of relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 20:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6393211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmoraDelara/pseuds/AmoraDelara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry told him what happened, but Liam didn't believe him at first. Then he saw the bandage on Zayn's wrist, and Liam couldn't stay silent anymore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What I Didn't Know I Needed

**Author's Note:**

> This popped into my head and I just had to write it. It's super short and only rated T+ for the darker theme. If depression or self-harm are a trigger for you, please read with caution.  
> Hopefully will randomly add to this as I have time/a muse but will leave it as complete for now.
> 
> Thanks,  
> Amora

Zayn could feel the tears threatening to spill over as he clutches the front of his shirt in his fist, training his eyes on the floor. “What did you want me to say?” He whispers. He glances up to see Liam’s face, stricken with concern. “How do I ask you to save me from myself?” Liam steps forward into Zayn’s personal space and raises a hand to cup his cheek, pulling his face up to look him in the eyes. The tears finally flow down Zayn’s face and his brows furrow together.

“This…” Liam starts, wrapping a gentle hand around Zayn’s wrist and bringing it up to his lips, kissing the fresh bandage there. “This isn’t a solution. I can’t help you if you don’t let me. Please let me, Zayn.” A sob breaks past Zayn’s lips without his permission and he buries his face in Liam’s neck, accepting the warmth of the arm encircling him.

“Today…” Zayn whispers into Liam’s skin. “Today’s always a good day to start, I s’pose.” Liam doesn’t let go of his wrist and continues to rub his thumb soothingly over the bandage. He places a kiss to the side of Zayn’s head.

“I know you have to learn to love yourself, but until then let me love you enough for the both of us, yeah?” Liam says into the silence, moving his other hand to the back of Zayn’s neck, squeezing assuredly. The other boy leans back, eyes wide and eyebrows raised at Liam’s confession.

“You…” Zayn starts.

“Yeah,” Liam answers. The two stare at each other for a moment before they both start laughing, breaking the tense atmosphere, and Zayn wiping the tears away with the heel of his free hand. “Come on,” Liam says, tugging loosely on the wrist he still holds. He heads towards the door, grabbing Zayn’s pack of smokes from the table.

“Where to?” He questions, confused.

“You’re feeling overwhelmed – like your emotions are reeling, right?” Liam asks, walking down the hallway towards the stairwell. “Looking at the stars always helps me. Somehow realizing how small I am is comforting, in its own way,” he explains, smiling over his shoulder. Zayn smiles warmly at the back of Liam’s head as the other boy pushes open the door to the apartment’s roof.

The stars are dulled by the city’s lights but they’re still amazing to look at, especially up as high as they are. But as he turns to look at Liam, the emotions Zayn sees on his face take his breath away even more than the stars. Zayn smiles and takes the offered cigarette pack Liam holds out for him, their fingers brushing on the exchange.

They sit in the old lawn chairs that get left on the roof. Zayn’s cigarette gives off an amber glow as smoke swirls around them both. The comfortable silence that settles over them is familiar to Zayn, but Liam reaches over and entwines their fingers to hang between the chairs, and his world seems to shift, making a little more sense.


End file.
